Construction of a new Batumi-Sarpi highway, costing over 809 million GEL, or more than $311 million, is beginning in Adjara. The project envisages the creation of an 11.3-kilometer section that will divert transit traffic of trucks and cars from the resort villages of Gonio, Kvariati, and Sarpi. The Roads Department of Georgia has already signed a contract with the Chinese state-owned company China Railway Tunnel Group.

The main structure will be a 7.6 km long road tunnel – the second longest in Georgia after the 9-kilometer Kvesheti-Kobi tunnel. In addition, the project includes the construction of three bridges, including a 1.47-kilometer bridge over the Chorokhi River, as well as a 500-meter coastal protection structure. The new road will directly connect the Batumi bypass with the Turkish border, increasing traffic safety and reducing the load on the resort infrastructure.

The construction is scheduled for 48 months and will be financed by the Asian Development Bank and the state budget of Georgia. The highway will be the final link of the Georgian section of E60 and an important part of the Middle Corridor connecting Europe and Asia. China Railway Tunnel Group has previously received major road contracts in Georgia, including work on the Kvesheti-Kobi, Stepantsminda-Gveleti highways, and the Tbilisi bypass.